Deserted
by Revalations
Summary: This broken world was destroyed by its very inhabitants. But those who slept soundly for each solid year are waking, ready to carry out the planet's divine will. Alternate Universe, yaoi, violence, mature.  Temporary Hiatus.
1. Prologue: The War

**A/N:** **Please read!** This first part is only background information, and is not necessary to the story. However, I'd like to think that the rest will be understood more easily if this little prologue is read.

Over much debate as to where I should put this, I've decided the Kingdom Hearts section of FFnet is the closest I can get. I'm using some of the world names and places and stuff, but the story doesn't really have anything to do with original KH characters at all. This fanfiction is a combination of Final Fantasy VII and VIII concepts, as well as their characters. Plus my own input, of course. :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make money off of anything here. It all belongs to Squeenix.

~o+o~

The world was desolate and broken now. Most of the ground that used to be lush with green grass and flowering with life was gone. Replacing it was cracked desert dirt, caked with dust and remnants of not-so-long-ago forgotten cities. The air, though not as polluted as before, was strangely dead. Even the occasional rustle of the wind couldn't animate this new lonely world.

The events leading to this unforgiving state of things are hazy, though one thing was always clear in the stories the remaining human population told each other: the Sorcerers were the reason for it all. There were only a few permanent settlements of humans left now, the rest becoming nomads and loners.

On the subject of Sorcery, precious few were gifted with a talent for magic. Those that had a knack for it were revered in the places they resided. Though it was not uncommon for a Sorcerer or Sorceress to be able to use any kind of elemental power, the user always had one element in which they excelled.

Each chosen child, said to be blessed by their element's embodiment, was raised to protect and defend their planet's divine will. That rule was something they could not escape, or turn away from. This is what led to the betrayal- a group of magic users decided to defy the planet's orders and became outlaws. They pillaged and raped and destroyed anything they felt a want for, resulting in a massive loss of life, and the destruction of many cities.

Those not chosen by the planet turned to the magic users still on their side, and the war that ended everything started. Sorcerers battled for many long years, only to nearly kill each other off. As a result, natural life appeared to cease on the surface of the planet that had given the Sorcerers their power. The grass died, the flowers wilted, the trees lost their leaves and turned from a rich oak brown to a deathly glowing white. Whole species of animals died off as their ecosystems collapsed, which hit the remaining humans very harshly.

As of now, there are only three semi-permanent colonies that allow each race of humans to reside within- Cetran, Sorcerer and Commoner- established by the WRO, the World Restoration Organization. The rest of the humans that survived are nomads and chaotic groups aiming for total destruction, always on the move. Though the Sorcerers on the side of the Commoners are scarce within the world, they strive to fulfill the will of the planet.

In the relative peace of the present day, those who were hidden by Gaia's gracious will now sensed the stillness, and called out to any who passed closely enough to hear their voice…


	2. Chapter One: The Northern Nomads

Deserted

A/N: I can't tell you how excited I am for this story. Hopefully I can get this baby updated every few weeks. 8D I would appreciate any input you have, if you'd like to take the time to review. Those little pieces of strawberry shortcake heaven keep me inspired to write this story.

Chapter 1: The Northern Nomads

~o+o~

The wind howled through the glaciers and down through the canyons with little mercy, bringing with it the largest blizzard in what would have been recorded history. Nobody bothered to keep track of such things anymore, because there was no reason to; survival of the human species was more important now.

There had been a vicious war for the duration of the last few years between the three races that inhabited this world; Commoners, Sorcerers, and Cetra. Though the war started with rogue Sorcerers, it eventually encompassed the whole world. Many people were slaughtered, cities decimated and cultures lost. Many people turned into nomads and tried to escape the ensuing chaos that the world had turned in to.

As the height of the snow quickly climbed, a small group of perhaps five humans searched for shelter in the icy canyons. They were bundled in many layers of clothing, hoods drawn tightly around their faces, and having to wipe their goggles several times a minute to clear the ice that was collecting on the surface.

"Leon! I think there's a cave right there!" came a shout from one of the women, barely audible over the screeching of the storm.

The one in front didn't hesitate to make certain. After a few more minutes of treacherous hiking, they made it to where the woman had pointed. It was a shallow cave, and very dark and wet, but it was out of the wind. That was good enough for now.

Leon, the leader, flipped his fur-lined hood back and slipped his winter goggles over his head, setting them on the floor. His chestnut brown hair was damp from the snow that had managed to get past his hood, but it still held its carefully styled shape. The jagged scar across the bridge of his nose was paler than usual, probably due to the temperature. He closed his cobalt eyes for a moment, before opening them to survey his companions.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked in a flat voice.

A murmured consensus of "yes" reverberated around the cave, as the rest of the group also took their hoods and goggles off. Leon accepted that and sat down to rest, his eyes closing once again.

A woman, the one who had pointed out the cave, walked over to him and sat by his side. Her hair, though it disappeared underneath her coat, was also brown but a few shades darker. The only exceptions were the highlights she had on the either side of her bangs. Her deep coffee brown eyes searched Leon's face for a moment before she spoke.

"I know this storm was unexpected, but is it really that big of a deal?" she asked.

Leon cursed her ability to read his expressionless face. "I wanted to reach the ruins of Hollow Bastion by now. If we don't get out of the canyon before the end of the week, we'll be buried alive in snow."

She raised an eyebrow. "You could stop that, couldn't you?"

"Another storm would just roll in. Calling on Shiva every few minutes for storms of this multitude probably wouldn't make her very happy," he responded. His face turned up to look at the top of the cave, watching the stalactites form ever so slowly. "Rinoa; do you think there are many colonies left?"

Rinoa blinked. "Of course. If we survived, then the others can tough it out too," she said in a voice that stated she was unsure of why he had even asked such a ridiculous question.

The only relatively large groups of people left were in colonies under the direction of the WRO, the World Restoration Organization. Many of the few magic users left had joined this group of people trying to restore their ways of life, and to reach one of the WRO's bases was Leon's ultimate goal.

Leon and Rinoa were Sorcerers, also called magic users, a race that was on the brink of extinction. They could call upon elemental magic whenever they pleased and had great powers of destruction, as well as healing.

Rinoa strongly believed that life could continue as it had before war had broken out. She held this notion with a very strong conviction, even though in the last few years of the war, many of the magic users had been slaughtered by their own kind.

She guessed silently that Leon had asked his question because they had been in the mountains for the last few weeks, with no communication to the outside world. And on top of that, all they had come upon were ruins and snow, and very rarely the occasional animal if you didn't count the monsters. It left hunting for food very difficult.

But Rinoa remained steadfast in her reasoning. If their group had survived, then obviously the others had made it through as well. It might not be the soundest of logic, but Rinoa had never been accused of thinking things completely through before.

By this time, the others in their group had settled down next to the two in conversation. The youngest of them, her sandy brown hair not flipping out as usual due to the weather, sat next to Rinoa. The other two men, one with his blonde hair sticking up at the front and the other with a dark brown pony tail, completed the small circle.

"We'll be okay, just you wait and see Leon," the girl said, smiling with her green eyes wide.

"Selphie knows what she's talking about, even if she's stupid sometimes," chuckled the man with the pony tail who sat next to her. Selphie slapped his arm, but she was smiling.

"I'm hungry," whined the other man. He scratched absently at the tattoo running down the left side of his face before falling onto his back and laying still.

"You're always hungry, Zell," Rinoa grumbled in annoyance at the only other magic user in their group.

Leon looked around the cave, then at his companions' tired but smiling faces. He heaved a sigh before making to get up.

"Irvine, can you take the first watch?"

Irvine looked up, his pony tail swinging with the movement. "Sure thing, fearless leader," he drawled with an affectionate smile.

Leon grunted in response, before settling down against the damp cave wall, closing his eyes. The rest of the party took this to mean that it was time to get some sleep before they had to get going again when the storm slowed down. They all bundled up against one another in the dark cave except for Irvine, who dutifully sat near the mouth, rifle at the ready should any unwanted visitors come by.

~o+o~

They had switched the watch three times when the storm had calmed enough to move again. Zell's eyes were lidded when he realized the snow wasn't falling with the vigor it was before. He let out a heavy sigh, the mist it created floated up for a few seconds before disappearing. A gloved hand went up to his light blue eyes and rubbed to wake himself before heaving his body into a standing position.

Zell leaned down to grab his almost forgotten goggles with a groan before walking quietly over to the group he traveled with. He looked over all of them bunched together, silently making sure everyone was still okay. When his eyes passed over Leon, he let out a snort. The only time that man didn't frown or grimace was when he was asleep.

Zell bent over and reached an arm out to grasp Leon's shoulder, avoiding Rinoa who had laid her head there and squeezing to wake him.

His gray eyes opened, though they were lidded, and looked up through disheveled bangs. The first thing Leon noticed was that Zell's demeanor was calm, so that meant no danger. That was probably the best way to wake up, he thought sleepily, considering the times they had woken to a monster's roar or a companion's shout for help in the past.

"Hey," Zell smiled.

Leon grunted, his way of asking what he wanted.

Zell rolled his eyes. "The storm's slowed. Let's get outta here before it picks up again."

Leon blinked again, groaning inwardly to himself about lack of sleep, but shifted to subtly wake his fellow travelers nonetheless.

Rinoa's eyes opened as she yawned. "Breakfast…?" she muttered, clearly disoriented.

"Maybe when we get to the valley. Wake up, guys," Leon said in a louder voice, rousing his sleeping comrades.

When the group had donned their goggles and pulled their hoods back over their faces, Leon checked one more time to make sure they all had their weapons and supplies. Another head count (really only out of habit, as there were only five of them) and Leon gave the motion to head out.

~o+o~

Several days after the group had taken a rest in the cave, they reached the valley that they had all been waiting for. The mountains still loomed high behind them, but the temperature had risen nicely to the point that their heavy winter gear was no longer necessary. Though their packs were heavier with the coats and gloves, not one person complained about the warmer weather.

The valley was a nice change visually as well. Instead of complete white with the rare occurrence of brown rock or stone, it was full of greens and blues, and so many flowers that it was almost a shock from one atmosphere to the other. Foliage at all was rare enough these days, but a whole valley full of it? The sight had actually stopped the whole group in their tracks.

Rinoa smiled broadly as their small band of travelers sat in a clearing between the trees of a forest they had entered nearly two days before. The wind was rolling in a gentle breeze, tugging at her hair and clothes. Though they had just stopped to rest for a few minutes, Rinoa would have been content to sit there for hours, listening to the sound of the forest life and gazing at the light blue of the sky beyond the topmost canopies of the trees.

"We should get to the WRO's base in Hollow Bastion in a day or two if my estimations are correct," Leon announced, interrupting Rinoa's musing.

"Finally," Selphie sighed, laying back and resting her head on the arms behind her. "I've been out trekkin' the world for a few weeks too long," she complained, though she was still smiling.

Zell pumped his fist into the air with a triumphant shout. "They probably have hot dogs there, YES!"

Rinoa and Irvine simply grinned, a chuckle or two escaping their lips as they watched the antics of their closest friends.

As the Sorceress's eyes glanced up from her other friends, she noticed that Leon's flat face had slipped a little. Though he rested against a boulder behind him, his posture was tense, and his jaw was clenched. Rinoa's eyes crinkled in confusion before she glanced down, and a slight flush appeared across her cheeks as she spotted the reason for his discomfort. She quickly averted her gaze.

Apparently when they had been driven into that godforsaken mountain range by an anti-sorcerer group, Leon's thoughts had been otherwise occupied with survival. Now that they had a chance to rest, he was able to focus on other things. Leon cursed the side effects of his magical abilities.

The leader of their group pushed himself away from the sturdy boulder and started walking out through the brush, his gait rather awkward.

"I'm gonna go kill something," he grumbled, grabbing his gunblade off of his hip and shuffling off into the dense forest they took refuge in.

Selphie looked confused. "What's his deal?"

Zell was smiling broadly, though his eyes were closed and he had lain down on the dirt. Rinoa smiled to a slightly lesser degree, and it was she who answered.

"You know how each sorcerer and sorceress has one of the eight elements from the planet?" Selphie nodded, and Rinoa continued. "Well, Leon's is Ice," Rinoa said, interrupting herself with giggles she couldn't stop.

Selphie frowned, pulling at one of the flips in her hair. "Why's that funny?"

"Let's just say…" Rinoa started, before giggling again. "Let's just say that being so close to his element for such a length of time has made him…frustrated." Her deep ochre eyes closed in another bout of laughter.

The other woman's frown deepened, her green eyes shining without understanding. "Well, that kind of makes sense, but I still don't get it…at all."

Rinoa was about to speak again, but was cut off by Zell.

"Either he's really going to kill something or he's gonna get rid of that raging hard on he's had for the past forever," he snorted, sitting up. Rinoa's eyes went wide, her face torn between amusement and horror as her giggles forced their way out again.

"What?" Zell asked incredulously, "Don't tell me you didn't notice too."

It was silent for a moment, before Selphie burst into laughter, the others quickly following her. When the sound died down to the point conversation could continue, they spoke again with genuine smiles on their faces for the first time in a very long time.

~o+o~

Leon roamed into the forest, not really going in any particular direction. As long as he was out of earshot by at least a little bit, that was good enough for him. As he moved farther away from his group (whom had just burst into a fit of laughter, more than likely at his expense), his mood improved little by little. It was true that his tight leather pants were much tighter than usual, and this made Leon's stride somewhat off. When the brunette decided he was far enough away from his friends, the swordsman put his gunblade back on his hip, falling heavily on a tree behind him. He threw back his head, a hand snaking up his thigh.

When he looked down at the bulge in his pants, he frowned.

"This doesn't benefit either of us," he said apathetically, though his hands moved closer to offensive protrusion.

With a sigh, one of his hands finally ghosted over his leather-covered erection. Leon bit his lower lip, putting on a bit more pressure as his other hand started unclasping the belts hanging on his hips. By the time the last red belt was undone, the brunette had a red flush over his face.

A quiet groan passed from between his lips as he reached down into his pants, legs spreading slightly as his back arched away from the tree. A stray thought crossed Leon's mind as he pulled his erection free, a flitting awkward memory that he hadn't done this for years. And what a juvenile thing to do.

Quickly disregarding this train of thought, Leon continued moving his hand faster along the rigid flesh, squeezing roughly enough to make him wince. The familiar burning started in his stomach, and he was not at all surprised that his orgasm was approaching so quickly. Another small noise escaped him as his body tensed, his thighs spreading as far as the leather would allow.

When Leon came, his world was white for a few moments. During that time, he thought he heard a soft singing ringing through the forest and into his ears; the telltale voice of the planet trying to get his attention. This caused him to jump and wince, and it took all of the enjoyment out of his release. When he was done, he wiped his hand off and shoved the softening flesh back into his leather pants as he clasped belts back on, cursing and gritting his teeth.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Leon let go of his annoyance and replaced it with his usual serene casualness, his curiosity at what the planet might want overpowering his anger at the untimely interruption. He couldn't help going even if he wanted to stay; when the planet calls, there must be an answer. It wasn't his choice.

Just as he started forward, his vision blurred and warped, taking the forest in front of him and twisting it into something unrecognizable. Leon staggered and felt himself hit the ground before falling into a vision.

_He strode further and further away from where his body fell, and the gentle singing of the planet grew louder. Soon the trees were becoming sparse, and the brush had retreated to leave only brown dirt under his boots as he followed the beckoning voice._

_Leon looked around and saw small streams of water making their way in the direction he was heading, and a frown appeared on his face. There was a distant roaring ahead, but it sounded nothing like a monster. Mildly confused, Leon continued on._

_Several minutes later, the__Sorcerer__found himself staring at the source of the loud roar; there was a large waterfall in front of him, crashing down with force only Gaia was capable of. It appeared to be the source of the planet's voice._

_The waterfall emptied itself into a large pond, shrouded partially in mist due to the force of the falls. __Instinct told him that what he sought was behind the curtain of flowing water__. Though he was in the middle of a magic-induced vision, Leon felt slight confusion at this._

_He didn't have time to think as the vision moved him forward again, his mind in a haze. Leon stepped into the pool of water, headed toward the waterfall._

_He was surprised__at the water's pleasantly warm temperature. After the feeling of comfort was in Leon, it was immediately washed away with a flood of suspicion. There was something strange about this particular water. Not only was the planet's voice beckoning him to an element that wasn't his own, but there was also a strange energy that the man couldn't quite place. His emotions were very strong if he felt them this clearly through the mist of the illusion he was in._

_When Leon made it to the waterfall, he walked forward and through the moisture, completely untouched._

_When he made it to the other side, he wasn't surprised that there was a cave tunneling back into the cliff the water fell from. He barely had a chance to take in his surroundings as the vision pushed him forward again._

_There were torches on the either side of the cave walls, giving flickering light to whoever dared to enter its confines. Cobalt eyes narrowed again, but the overwhelming voice of the planet urged him to move forward._ _After a long while of walking through the dank cave, Leon stopped._

_The soft sound of moving water had met his ears again, but now he was faced with a room-wide pond, the dead end of the cave. Leon looked down to his right, just before the water lapped at the dirt. There was a standard-issue Shinra broadsword stuck blade-down in the dirt, as if it was somebody's grave._

_Near the sword was a tattered uniform, also of Shinra, appearing to be from an infantryman if Leon's memory served correctly. There didn't appear to be any remains of this soldier, and that was strange in itself. No armies but the WRO's had been established since the world had fallen into chaos from the war, so either this military man had walked back out of the cave naked, or…_

_Leon looked up into the large water-filled room at the most interesting aspect of it. There was a pillar of pure energy and water, radiating soft light. This was the source of the planet's voice, Leon decided._

_When he stepped foot into the pond the singing ceased completely, causing Leon to shudder and stop, almost losing balance. When he looked back up, the cave walls had vanished. __There was water everywhere, stretching out to the horizon in every direction the Sorcerer's head swiveled. __When he looked back in front of him, there was somebody standing there. The man, for he was definitely male, had his arms loosely clasped behind his back as he looked out to the never ending waterline._

_Confusion masked Leon's face. __He called out to the figure in front of him, trying to gain its attention, but no sound came out. __The man felt his presence however, and turned slowly to look at the Sorcerer. __As he turned, his outline blurred into the background, but not before a smile and two electric blue irises flashed._

"Will you help me?"

_Leon fell to his knees._

~o+o~

A/N: **I know Author's Notes are longwinded and boring, but please read it just this one time! ** I love you all. Thanks for coming to read my story. 8D I hope you like it! I'm going to try and update it every other week on Tuesday. Why Tuesday? Because Tuesday is a magical day. It just is.

I understand that there are some concepts that are very strange here…I'm adapting a lot of FFVIII things (like the Sorcery, obviously) into this in-between AU world. If you get confuzzled, I invite you to click the link on my profile that goes to my livejournal created just for my fanfiction. It's basically just notes I keep, but it may help you in understanding the backstory.

My writing muse has been kicking my ass with this story for a while now, so it's been quelled…somewhat. Heheh, let me know what you think! I write for fun, but also to see if my writing has improved any. I plan on making this a story of epic proportions, so look out ahead.

OH. And there is not enough cliche love triangles between Leon, Cloud and Zack. And I've been wanting to read one for so long, but nope! Nobody's writing them. So I'll take the initiative and write one myself. So ha, screw you, world.

Also, thanks to my beta **Ronnen** for her amazingness and overall epic win. :D

Ta-ta for now.

~Revalations


	3. Chapter Two: Survivors of Hollow Bastion

Deserted

Chapter 2: Survivors of Hollow Bastion

~o+o~

It was loud. There were shouts from men, squeals of children and a general buzzing murmur from the conversation that lay beneath. Though this wasn't unusual, the noise seemed especially loud at the WRO base in Hollow Bastion's infamous castle on this particular day—the day that the military leaders had decided to abandon their refuge and its surroundings, due to the frozen weather it had been receiving from the mountain range only half a day away. Their supplies were running low; the terrain was too mountainous to grow a good crop and keep livestock alive every year, and that combined with the snow becoming more and more frequent…well, there was little else that could be done.

Trucks rolled to a stop just outside the imposing old structure, taking a load of heavy machinery that provided the colony with power or food and starting away again to load it onto a bigger convoy, only to return and repeat its motions. Men in the WRO military uniforms were scattered everywhere, helping load machines, directing pedestrian traffic, barking orders, and doing a wide variety of other things.

One such soldier however, was standing high up from the rush and anxieties of the impending move. He stood on a northern-facing balcony overlooking the vast plains and rolling hills that in just a day or two, he would have to travel across with the rest of the colony. His hands caressed the rock of the banister that had been worn smooth from the weather, absently admiring its gothic beauty. In the back of his mind, he realized that the breeze wasn't frigid, but more like a fresh spring wind. If he had paid more attention, this may have led him to wonder why there was a sudden change in weather. His mind was otherwise occupied by thoughts of leaving, and the thought that what he had been searching for was going to stay forever lost. What he cherished most…the thing he held closest to his heart, was now only going to be a memory.

His purple irises became downcast as this thought weighed itself down. Though he should be helping the colony prepare to leave, he had lost his energy and took a short break. Dark eyebrows furrowed.

"C'mon, Zack. Happy thoughts. Morale's gonna suck if I keep getting down and dejected," he muttered to himself, his eyes closing tightly.

Standing up straight, Zack took a deep breath and held it for a few moments before letting it out again, his hands smoothing back his black hair. A few stubborn strands, normally so trained in a specific style, fell back in front of his right eye, waving slightly as if to cheer him up.

The soldier blew up toward the offending piece of hair.

"I wonder…if you'll forgive me, in time."

"Who?"

Zack jumped in surprise, wheeling quickly around and almost grabbing the mighty buster sword on his back. When he recognized the long brown braid and the pink dress, he relaxed, arms going limp at his sides.

"Damnit, Aerith. Stop using your freaky Cetra powers to mask your presence. You're gonna give me a heart attack," he laughed rather forcibly.

Aerith smiled brightly, her green eyes sparkling as she moved closer. Zack was slightly wary of his friend, partially because of his surprise, and partially because…well, she'd been acting like a schoolgirl with a crush lately.

Despite this, the Cetran woman was one of Zack's closest friends. Though he was adored and respected by his subordinates and civilians alike, he had become rather distant since the war had started. Though it had been several years and the fighting was mostly over, he couldn't help pining over the loss of the people he held closest. The _person_ he held closest…

The soldier had almost become offended when Aerith had made a joke about creating a bond with him a few days before. A bond between a Cetra and a Sorcerer was no small deal—it was the most sacred act two people could partake in with the blessing of the planet. It joined the two together in every sense of the word, and when she had mentioned it, the thought that he might forget—forget about…

The thought was unbearable.

"Hellooooo?"

Zack blinked, a confused look taking over from the slack-jawed expression he had adopted only a few moments before.

"Huh?"

Aerith pursed her lips. "You gave me that blank look that says you're not paying attention again," she said with a small smirk.

A sheepish smile appeared on the man's face. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry. What did you say?"

Her eyebrow rose. "I saaaiiid, if my Cetra powers are freaky, what does that make your Sorcerer powers then, hmm?"

Zack let a genuine smile appear as he consciously let go of his misgivings toward the past- for the moment, at least.

"My powers are the most amazing thing ever offered—"

"Zack…"

"—even by Hyne himself, so don't you go off about how Gaia—"

"Zack, really?"

"I swear on Quezacotl's tail-thingy, in a battle between Hyne and the planet—"

"Zack!"

"—hotdogs would even disappear, and...what?"

Aerith attempted to mask her giggles behind a hand. "We really need to be going. You're behind schedule as it is."

Zack sighed, once again blowing up at the strand of hair in his face. "Yeah, I guess I've spent enough time enjoying the view."

Aerith's lips twitched into another smile.

"Let's get going then, _Commander_," she said, stressing his title to playfully remind him that he had a duty to carry out.

The Cetra turned, her honey brown braid twisting with the movement as she headed back into the castle to continue her various jobs.

Zack took a step to follow, before turning and quickly moving back to the banister of the balcony. He glanced at the imposing mountain range to the left before closing his eyes and holding his hands up, as if in prayer.

"Dear Gaia, I didn't mean it. Please don't take anything I say seriously," he muttered before whispering the closing prayer and turning to catch up with Aerith.

Though she said nothing at her companion's tardiness, the woman wore a knowing smile on her glossy pink lips.

~o+o~

"Come on, men! The more we get done now, the less we have to do later!"

Zack had rejoined the effort to get the heaviest things on the trucks, both to get it done faster and to raise the morale of his tired comrades by assisting them himself. Sweat glistened and dripped down the sides of his face and body as he bunched the muscles in his legs to help lift the current hunk of metal (something to do with water purification, he was pretty sure) onto the large truck in front of them.

Aerith sat on a nearby crate, her work with getting the chocobos prepared to move having been done for several hours already. Her sparkling green eyes watched the commanding officer's every movement with greedy intensity. Though the reason she would give to any inquisitive passerby about waiting for Zack's evaluation was legitimate, anybody who paid even a small amount of attention could come to the conclusion that she had it bad for the dark haired soldier. Her eyes were trained on Zack's muscled body, only leaving to blink as she stared on in a trance-like daze.

When there was a shift in weight on the crate, Aerith glanced to the side to find the source. Another young woman had seated herself next to the Cetra, also watching the men hard at work. Though she knew she had been caught gawking again, Aerith wasn't embarrassed simply because it was only Tifa.

Tifa, like Zack, was a magic user. Her crimson eyes shone brightly in the sun, alluding to her time spent as a hidden one by the planet.

There were eight 'hidden ones' around the planet, of which only one—Tifa—had been found. When the war between Sorcerers had taken a turn for the worse, Gaia had hidden one magic user of each element somewhere deep within Herself to ensure the continuing line of every magic. This information was discovered by the Cetra, the race of humans that could speak with the planet daily to ascertain Her wellbeing.

The Cetra, though many were killed alongside the Sorcerers, was a flourishing race adept in universal healing magic. Though they weren't Sorcerers, they had the powerful ally of Restore in their grasp, not to mention their influence with the planet.

"If you stare at him any longer, you'll burn holes into his back," the Sorceress noted humorously.

Aerith smiled softly, but didn't stop looking. "I doubt he'd feel it."

Tifa pouted her lips a little in empathy, realizing and understanding the Cetra's position in unrequited love. She shifted suddenly to become more comfortable, causing her impressive chest to jump a little.

"I'd bond that before someone else moves in for the kill," Tifa said seriously, flicking her long oaken hair back, "because really, if I were a Cetra I definitely wouldn't mind trying," she giggled, her eyes taking in what Aeriths' had been moments ago.

The smaller woman shoved her playfully, trying to hide a small smirk.

"You know, I tried introducing the idea a few days ago. He got really tense but tried to hide it… I don't think he's ready to think about such an involving life decision just yet," Aerith said softly, her eyes looking downward.

Tifa averted her gaze to her friend, her eyes' red depths softening at the sight of her dejected friend.

"Buck up, Cetra," the Sorceress said, putting a smile on, "You're his closest lady-friend; that's a step up from everyone else, right? Even if he's not ready right now, he'll come around. Just you wait and see." Tifa put her arm around the smaller woman, providing the most comfort she could.

"Alright men, good job!"

With that shout, the two conversing women looked over, eyes trained on Zack. He was laughing at something one of the soldiers had said, grabbing a bottle of water and re-hydrating himself.

Aerith blushed, her eyes unable to leave the sight of the man's sweat-slicked skin.

Then a thought occurred to her.

"Tifa…how is it warm enough for the men to sweat?"

Tifa blinked. Her eyes turned upward, considering the question. It was true that the whole colony was relocating to the Balamb base because of the wintry weather. For the day to be so warm was very strange.

"Huh. You know, that's a good question. I've heard a lot of people talking about how nice it is today, now that you mention it," the darker brunet said, her eyebrows furrowing. "It must be a fluke. It's been freezing like Shiva on crack for these past few months, there's no way it'll last."

Aerith's Cetra green eyes looked sad again.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

~o+o~

The night was as pleasantly warm as the day had been earlier. The work was temporarily paused for supper, giving the men a chance to relax and get energized enough for more labor. Hollow Bastion's castle was full of laughter and animated chatter, warm candle and torchlight filling its otherwise dank and cold hallways. While the dining hall was full to the brim with smiling faces and loud stories, and the hallways lurking with lovers seeking dark shadows and the safety of their rooms, Zack found himself wandering through the garden pathways in one of the many vast orchards Hollow Bastion once claimed.

Everything was gone now; the animals, the vegetation, the _life_. All of the vine walls of the garden's maze-like paths were brown and withering, holes showing through and ruining the feeling of solitude it once gave to its residents.

Zack wandered for a good amount of time before he came to the heart of the large orchard, finding an old broken fountain ringed by several stone benches.

The soldier gave a half smile at the sad beauty of the place, before moving forward to the nearest seat.

Resting the buster sword to the side of the bench and sitting down, Zack reclined and looked up at the stars. Looking at the heavens was certainly humbling, if nothing else. The thought of, 'no matter what was done on this planet, it wouldn't change anything else out there in the big universe' could definitely make a man feel small.

The sound of heavy footsteps shook Zack out of his musings, and he sat up and turned to face the intruder.

"Hey, Zack. Long time no see."

Something was thrown at the commander, which he deftly caught in his left hand.

His violet eyes widened as he glanced at the object in his grasp.

"Banoran dumbapples, one of your favorites. I know you Zack, you can't escape it."

Zack looked back up, letting out a chuckle before answering.

"Kunsel, you crazy fuck. Why are you wasting your break out here looking for my sorry ass when you could be eating or putting the moves on your lady?" Zack asked brashly, his mood lifting somewhat as he took a bite of the purple apple.

Kunsel smiled, though the red WRO helmet he wore covered his eyes.

Zack noticed this and smirked. "You gonna take that thing off or is it the new fashion statement?"

Kunsel took it in stride and kept his smile. "We have less than ten minutes left, no use in taking it off now."

Zack laughed and finished the apple, throwing the core into the nasty water that the fountain had collected through the snow and rain. He stood and stretched, sheathing his sword atop the magnetic supporting straps belted to his back.

"Well then, let's be off. We don't have too much more to do before we finally call it a night," Zack said wearily, looking off to the western horizon and quickly setting sun.

Kunsel nodded, grunting his agreement.

The two started off in the direction Zack had come from, entering the sad browning garden maze once again.

The older man blinked before looking at his lower ranked companion as they trekked through to the first floor of the castle.

"Kunsel…how the hell did you know where I would be?"

At this the other man only smiled.

"I've already said, Zack. I know you."

~o+o~

"How are the preparations coming along, Commander?"

Reeve Tuesti, the founder and one of the head directors of the WRO had called Zack to his office several minutes ago, a summons to which the soldier had quickly complied. Reeve wasn't a strict or cruel man; in fact, he was very well respected, and it was because of those feelings that Zack refrained from keeping the man waiting.

"Everything is on schedule, sir," Zack answered crisply and to the point, still at attention.

Reeve sighed with a smile from behind his desk, smoothing the folds of his deep blue overcoat.

"At ease, Zack."

Zack softened his posture a little, but kept his back straight. His fluorescent eyes met the director's dark brown gaze, a quiet contentment filling in between them. Reeve smiled a hand moving up to his goatee.

"How have you been? I know it's hectic with all of this moving and whatnot, but I hope it hasn't been too hard on you." Reeve asked, dancing around the issue he was alluding to.

Zack's eyes lost their warmth.

"I'm fine. No need to worry over one soldier's personal wellbeing when you've got a whole colony to think about," Zack said emotionlessly.

Reeve frowned.

"Zack…you're the example. You're the one everyone—"

"The one everyone looks up to, I know. I've known that for years now, and I haven't stopped knowing since the last time you said it," Zack snapped, almost immediately regretting it. But he looked away and refused to apologize.

The older man's unhappiness increased. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that. It's not just morale that I'm worried about; I'm concerned for your wellbeing, too. I know what leaving this place will mean for you…"

Zack huffed. "Look. I'm not looking for a pity party or anything like that. But I do think I'm at least a little bit entitled to my own feelings. I mean, I grew up here and everything. And I think I'm doing a pretty good job at keeping my game face on when I'm on duty too, so brownie points for me," the soldier said sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest.

Reeve sat stoically, letting Zack vent. Though it was very unlike the commander to be sarcastic and bitter, he knew that the man was being forced to let go of his home and the memory of his dearest friends that had died at the hands of savage war.

Zack stopped to catch his breath, and Reeve cleared his throat calmly.

The soldier sighed, running a hand through his soot colored hair. Just as he was about to utter an apology, the door to the office burst open, and a lower ranked WRO soldier flew in to where the two men were.

Reeve stood abruptly, his brow furrowing with concern.

"What is it, soldier?" he asked quickly.

"Sir!" the man saluted, "There's a situation at the front gates of the castle!"

Reeve frowned, pushing his shoulder length dark hair out of his face to glance at the clock. It was half past one in the morning.

"At this time? Is it a monster?"

"No, sir! Please, sir, come see for yourself!" the soldier yelled, imploring the older man to follow.

Reeve nodded, "Lead the way," being the only thing he said.

Zack frowned, following the two in front of him quickly. What could be so important that one of the head directors of the WRO had to be called on?

~o+o~

**A/N:** It's that magical day of all magical days once again~ Tuesday, the best day of the week. xD Well anyhoooo, thanks for reading! The next chapter shall be out exactly two weeks from now. :3 Also, thanks again to my beta **Ronnen**, who still kicks ass at everything she does. 8D

Until next time!

~Revalations


	4. Chapter Three: Safe Haven

Deserted

Chapter 3: Safe Haven

Noise was escalating as Zack, Reeve and the WRO uniform made their way quickly to the front gates of Hollow Bastion's castle. Zack lengthened his stride to be even with Reeve, looking over at the older man with confusion.

"What the hell's going on?"

Reeve was huffing for breath at this point, but he kept pace and didn't look at Zack when he replied.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be so panicked," he said shortly.

Zack grit his teeth as the three sped down the corridors and hallways, passing through doorways and down ancient stairwells before they reached the first floor. At this point there was a great clamor coming from behind the doors in front of them, and this only made them run faster.

After the WRO soldier pulled the door open for the Director and the Commander, he proceeded to shout orders to the crowd to disperse and make way.

The people made a path quickly, following the shouted orders to move away from the gate. Zack moved in front of the other man and shoved past people still in their way. Reeve followed quickly, and they eventually made it to the front gates.

Standing there was a group of what appeared to be weathered out young adults. There were only five, but the WRO soldiers that had been stationed at the front gate had their weapons pointed at them threateningly. The group in question stood warily, not making any sudden movements.

Reeve's brow furrowed.

"What is this?" he asked, moving forward to stand just behind the WRO soldiers.

Zack stood at his side, moving up to get a closer look at the travelers on their doorstep.

The man in front had the stance of a leader getting ready to defend his people. He guessed the man was close to his age, maybe a year or two younger, though his eyes shone with experience that reached far beyond a simple number. The other four stood back, waiting for the word of their leader. Zack came to the conclusion that they were harmless unless the man in front declared otherwise, and so paid minimal attention to them.

The scarred man stepped forward at Reeve's question.

"We are a group of Sorcerers and commoners that have been traveling for several weeks to make it to this base. We've had to hike through the mountain range to escape the anti-magic group that was trying to eliminate us," he said flatly, his expression staying neutral.

Zack's eyes narrowed, his military instincts telling him that it was a lie. He looked over to Reeve and scoffed internally at the man's softening expression.

The director leaned over to the Commander, his eyes never leaving the group of travelers.

"How do we know they're telling the truth? They could be anarchists," Zack muttered, employing the common name for the anti-magic groups.

Reeve set his lips in a straight line before replying.

"Check them, we'll see if they're lying about being magic users and commoners first. If they aren't, we can welcome them until we can gauge their character." At Zack's incredulous look, Reeve frowned. "This place is a haven, Zack; who are we to turn those who may need help away?"

With that, Reeve turned back to the impatient group and smiled.

"My deepest apologies. Commander Fair will check to make sure that you are indeed what you say you are, and if it proves true we will show you to the mess hall and find appropriate lodgings for you all."

Zack let his unhappiness linger in his look as he turned once again to the people before him. He reached out with his magic and grasped each of their signatures, relaying the information verbally as he discovered it.

"Two commoners…one Ifrit…a Pandemona…"

As he moved to the scarred brunette, he met resistance. Zack glared unhappily at the man until he felt it budge just enough to grasp the man's element.

"…and a Shiva. Huh. I guess they were telling the truth…about this, at least." Zack's face was set in a frown as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Reeve glanced to Zack before smiling and holding his arms out to the strangers.

"Welcome, dear guests. I apologize for your poor treatment, but you must understand we have to make sure that any who enter won't cause harm to the colony," he said loudly.

The man in front had no change in expression as he answered.

"We get it. But there's something I need to do, as quickly as possible. There are Cetra here, right?"

Reeve furrowed his brow and his smile waned. "Yes…why do you ask?"

"I need to speak with one."

Cold blue eyes narrowed.

"Well…"

_~o+o~_

_Rinoa jumped when Leon staggered back into the tiny clearing, his clothes dirty and hair mussed. Immediately everyone was on their feet, faces concerned and arms out. Leon brushed them all away, his breathing still too shallow and his eyes a fraction too wide._

"_I found…something. Someone. We need to get to Hollow Bastion, now," Leon said in short gasps, his body shivering as if cold._

_Selphie furrowed her brows and opened her mouth to speak, but Irvine beat her to it._

"_What are you talking about, Leon? 'Something' is pretty vague," the cowboy said, lifting his hat to scratch at the top of his head._

"_Someone," Leon corrected, before continuing. "Someone's been in hiding for several years. Because of the planet, I think. We need to get to the base to speak to a Cetra, they should know more about it," he said in calmer breaths, standing up straight now._

_Everyone stared at him, blinking every few seconds._

"_Leon…did you hit your head? You're not acting normal," Zell said slowly, as if Leon were a child._

_The brunette scowled before looking them all in the face directly, one at a time. "I'm not crazy, the planet called out to me and forced me into a vision. We need to help him, he's been there for years by himself-"_

"_Then let's go."_

_Leon blinked and looked over to Rinoa, for it was she who had spoken._

_She smiled a bit at his surprise, and offered a small explanation. "You've never led us astray, so why should we question you now?"_

_The others nodded in their own time, looking up to Leon's passive face. He nodded, resituated his clothing and hair before heading out into the forest once more. The others didn't hesitate in following._

_~o+o~_

Leon gave the shortened story of his discovery to the director because of the large amount of people still crowding, but his story seemed to excite the listeners. He frowned, glancing at the people whispering gleefully about something he obviously was left out on.

"Care to explain the inside joke?" Leon asked out loud, eyeing the man who called himself Reeve, and the grumpy Commander Fair.

The two in question exchanged a surprised glance before looking back at Leon.

"Come with us, mister…" Reeve started, looking to the scarred brunette.

"Leon. Just Leon. This is Rinoa, Zell, Selphie and Irvine," he said, pointing to each respectively.

"Leon, then. Please, you may all follow, but this brings up new…circumstances. But let us discuss them in a more private fashion, if you will? I'll make sure your quarters are secured for the night."

"Much obliged," Leon said, watching as the soldiers moved away for them to make their way into the old castle. Though he was still wary, Leon moved forward with confidence, the others following closely behind him. He moved toward the director who had turned, leading the way.

When he passed Zack, they shared an unfriendly glance. Time slowed for a moment as they each evaluated the other, electric purple and cool gray clashing in a battle of wills. They both felt the power inside them rise, trying to threaten and intimidate the other. When neither backed down, they both blinked, and severed the connection they made. Leon narrowed his eyes before looking forward and walking past the soldier, intent on following Reeve once again.

Zack glared after him, before following several paces behind the other haggard travelers of the group. Time to find out which Hidden One these people had stumbled across.

~o+o~

When all were seated comfortably around Reeve's office, with Zack standing near the door and Reeve behind his desk, the older man smiled politely while lacing his fingers under his chin.

"It sounds to me as if you've found a Hidden One; a magic user whom Gaia has seen fit to keep under her protection during the massacres of the last five years," Reeve started, looking at each of the newcomers in turn.

"Would you mind telling me more in detail what you witnessed, Leon?"

Leon explained everything he had seen, including every detail he could remember. Reeve listened intently, barely blinking as he took in this information.

"The last thing I saw was an endless stretch of water, and…someone, a boy, standing in front of me a ways. He turned and asked me if I would help him. I couldn't really make out what he looked like, but his eyes were blue. They flashed strangely before I woke up in the forest again," Leon finished, blinking and looking at Reeve expectantly.

Reeve's eyes had trained on Zack after the brunette's last sentence, and his eyes were cautious.

Leon furrowed his brow and turned to see Zack had gone completely still. His chest moved very slowly, and his eyes were wide, though they weren't focused on anything in the room.

"Zack…it's probably not what you think," Reeve said lowly, standing quietly.

Leon's eyelids drooped back into his passive face, annoyance showing clearly through his eyes.

"Excuse me, but what's going on?" Rinoa asked politely, watching the silent exchange between Reeve and Zack.

"It sounds like…Cloud…" Zack said in an off voice, his eyes still not focusing clearly on anything in front of him.

"Who's that?" she asked innocently.

Reeve sat back down, eyeing Zack warily before turning his attention back to the five in front of him.

"Cloud Strife…is believed to have died in one of the first battles between Sorcerers five years ago. His body was never found, but there were many who were labeled as such. After finding no trace of him for several months, he was declared dead. He and Zack…" Reeve chanced another glance at Zack, but the soldier was off in his own world, "…were very close. He's been searching for him ever since he disappeared."

Rinoa's expression had melted into sadness, and she glanced back at the black haired man by the door.

"I apologize in advance, but I must insist that you reiterate your story to one of the Cetra here to confirm my belief. If it's true, we will ask you to show us the way to the Hidden One's place tomorrow," Reeve said kindly, looking at Leon.

Leon's eye twitched. "Tomorrow? Why me?" _I'm way too tired to be dragged into another problem so quickly._

Reeve's smile faded to sheepishness, as he glanced around before looking back into that cold stare. "You see…we're moving. The whole WRO Base is relocating to the base in Balamb, because of the cold weather. We're no longer able to maintain the livestock, and crops were already scarce before this bout of cold. I'd prefer not to leave anybody behind, and you are the only one who actually saw where this boy was…" Reeve trailed off, looking at Leon with hope in his eyes.

Leon sighed, raising a hand to the bridge of his nose and rubbing softly. When he lifted his head, he looked at Reeve with his usual blank stare.

"Okay, I'll do it. But I'd like a good night's sleep first, if you don't mind."

Reeve nodded enthusiastically, a large smile appearing on his face. "Thank you very much Leon, for helping us despite your…welcoming," the director said, walking out from behind his desk. "Let's get you all some proper food, and then you will be shown to your rooms."

Zack blinked and looked at Reeve, making eye contact and smiling. "I'm going tomorrow, too."

Reeve pursed his lips, eyes losing the smiling lilt they had moments before. "Let's discuss this later, Zack…"

The soldier's face morphed into a determined one, his eyes hardening into fierce confidence. "No, I'm going tomorrow. C'mon, Reeve, you can't try to keep me here. Not when it's probably—"

"Don't get your hopes up, Zack." Reeve interrupted the soldier with a frosty tone, before sighing. The resulting expression made him look ten years older. "But I suppose you'll throw a fit if I don't let you go. Then you'd sneak off and go anyway."

Zack raised an eyebrow, silently agreeing with Reeve's evaluation of the situation.

"Fine, you can go. They'll need an escort anyhow. I'll see about finding a Cetra to go as well, because I'm fairly positive that this is a Hidden One. Leon, I'd like to take you to speak to a Cetra now, if you wouldn't mind…Zack, please take the others to the mess hall and make sure they get something good to eat," Reeve finished, leading the way out the door.

Zack nodded, only half listening. He knew that getting his hopes up was foolish and naïve, but he couldn't help it. Cloud might still be alive, just as he'd always chosen to believe; maybe everything would turn out okay after all.

~o+o~

After getting the others to the large hall to eat, Zack made sure a guide was there to take the four to their rooms afterward before he left.

He lounged in his room, reclined lazily on the large bed in the center of the floor as he mused on the events tomorrow would hold. Maybe he'd finally be reunited with Cloud, maybe it would go back to the way it used to be…

Zack's brow furrowed at the thought.

No, it wouldn't go back to how it used to be. He wouldn't play coy on how he felt toward the beautiful blonde boy ever again. He would say it how it was, and Cloud could both accept it and embrace it or…or, well, Zack would use his charismatic charm to persuade Cloud to see it his way. Yeah, that'd definitely work.

With a smile on his face, Zack let himself fall into dreams, each filled with feathery blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

~o+o~

**A/N:** Hello once again on this beautiful Tuesday evening! Yeah, it's still Tuesday, even if it's…9:30 at night. –cowers-

Beta'ing is really difficult when DocX's don't go through. I'm swearing it off, I'm just gonna use normal email now, dammit. :P

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! I'll see you again on the 4th of May. Til then~

~Revalations


	5. Chapter Four: Finding the Truth

Deserted

Chapter 4: Finding the Truth

~o+o~

Leon shrugged his shoulders several times, attempting to get the tension out. It didn't work very well. With a sigh, he closed the door to the room he was shown to. It was a small room, and barely four walls and a bed, but he didn't mind. He never needed anything grandiose and superfluous; as long as it had a place to lay down, it was good enough.

The brunette had just finished speaking with one of the elder Cetra, and she also believed that he had been "touched by a Hidden One". Leon grasped that these Hidden Ones were people that Gaia had hidden to keep each line of magic in tact through the war, but what he didn't get was why this one had chosen _him_ to reach out to. Was there really anything that special about him, besides being a Sorcerer?

Leon lay down on the bed after removing his clothing, getting comfortable under the covers for the few hours' rest he might get. He ended up on his back with his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling before he felt his eyes closing, the darkness creeping in, promising dreamless sleep…

A soft knock was made on the door. Leon groaned, muttering something close to "enter".

The door opened, and a crack of light appeared before it was snuffed by the door closing again. Leon attempted to sit up, his body not quite responding correctly through his exhaustion. He heard a quiet giggle and his eyes focused more quickly. He saw a silhouette that looked suspiciously like Rinoa standing a few feet in front of his bed.

He managed to rest his back against the headboard, the sheets tumbling down his chest to rest in his lap. While he was situating himself to be more comfortable, he spoke without looking at the woman in his room.

"Are you okay?" he asked emotionlessly.

After a few moments of silence, he looked up at her to discern what was wrong. She didn't look hurt, so it was probably something wrong emotionally. Great, just what he needed. _I have enough problems with my _own _emotions._

Rinoa stepped forward tentatively, before turning and sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from the man. Her hands were balled into fists in her pale blue nightgown, and her head was slightly bowed. Leon's eyes narrowed, but he made no move to touch her.

"Rinoa?"

She flinched a little, like she had forgotten he was there. She mumbled a soft apology with a sniffle she tried to suppress, while grabbing the collar of her nightgown to rub at her eyes. Leon blinked.

"Rinoa…what's wrong?" he asked, allowing slight concern to tinge his voice.

Rinoa let another sniffle out, before turning to face the other magic user. Her face was red, and her eyes were beginning to puff a little. She missed some of the streaks the tears had tracked down her cheeks. Leon frowned.

"I just…I was thinking about it, and I know it's…it's stupid. This should have sunk in weeks ago. I can't…I just don't want…" she babbled, her eyes rolling around as if she couldn't look at any one thing.

Leon grabbed the sheets with one hand to make sure they stayed where they needed to as he leaned forward, reaching one hand out. He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted it a little so that she would look at his face. She quieted, her eyes finally standing still as her body relaxed slightly at the contact.

"What's bothering you?" Leon asked calmly.

Her bottom lip trembled as she sniffed again, her eyebrows turning up again as she tried not to cry.

"We're never gonna see home again, are we?" she asked in a broken sob.

Leon's frown deepened for a moment, before he moved his arm around her and sighed. She collapsed forward into him, her hands sliding around to his back and gripping like he was the last person in the world. Rinoa had broken into sobs that made her lurch forward with every exhalation of breath. Leon had to move the hand that was holding onto the sheets behind him to keep them both upright.

The Sorcerer moved his hand across Rinoa's back awkwardly, not quite sure what he should do. Though he cared deeply for his friends, it was always difficult to express for him. When the sobs subsided to sniffles again, Leon lifted his hand to her hair, attempting to calm her further. She lifted her head and looked up at him, her eyes still watery.

"Leon, I…" she started, before shaking her head and looking away. "I'm sorry."

Leon blinked again, sighing softly. "It's okay. I understand."

"I, um…I know this is strange, but, ah…would you, uh, mind if I stayed…here? Tonight?" she asked, still looking away.

"Uh…" he started, glancing down at the sheets in his lap.

Rinoa looked up at him and followed his gaze with a confused look, before she realized what he was looking at. She immediately jumped back, putting two feet of space between them.

"Oh, oh I didn't mean to, uh, I didn't know," Rinoa said in a high voice, her eyes wide and looking anywhere but at Leon.

"Rinoa."

Her eyes closed tightly, and she turned her face away.

Leon rolled his eyes. "Rinoa, look at me."

The only change she made was to fist the hem of her nightgown tightly.

"Fine. Look, I really have to sleep for at least a few hours. Why don't you go see Selphie, or even Zell. Irvine probably won't wake up. Whichever way you choose, I really need to sleep."

Rinoa nodded, her eyes still shut tight, as she stumbled backwards, tangling herself in the sheets and her nightgown. Leon grimaced before he used one hand to separate the sheets and the woman, gently nudging her to the side of the bed. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she scampered immediately for the door. Before she could disappear, Leon called after her.

"I'm not angry at you, and you shouldn't be embarrassed." Rinoa turned to half-glance at him, before she nodded and left, snapping the door closed behind her.

Leon sighed, glancing at the light from the small window, ascertaining that he had perhaps three hours before he would be expected up. He fell backward onto the bed, sighing and putting a hand to the bridge of his nose.

"Why is it always _me_…?"

~o+o~

Three hours and twenty-five minutes later, Leon stepped into the mess hall for breakfast. He hadn't been able to really look at the hall the night before, as his exhaustion had been setting in quite strongly. Even though he was still very tired, the few hours' rest he managed to snatch helped him take in more of his surroundings.

The hall was enormous; it could hold nearly fifty long tables with close to three hundred seats on each side. Most of these seats were vacant, especially at this hour. Looking up, Leon saw gold painted walls attach to an equally gold painted ceiling, before his eyes went to the grand chandelier. The glass shone and reflected all of the many hundreds of flickering candle flames it held, giving an illusion of movement.

Blinking and looking again to the tables, Leon barely took a step before he was assaulted by something that nearly took him to the ground. Reacting without a thought, the brunette drop-rolled to the left, standing quickly and grabbing the handle of his gunblade.

Before he could do much more, there was a short round of clapping from several smiling onlookers, including the would-be attacker.

"Hey, with moves like that, you'll definitely be of use to us!" she smiled, before she offered a hand. "I am the Great Ninja Yuffie. Don't forget, okay?" Leon tentatively shook the girl's hand, slightly disconcerted at her antics. "Oh, come on, really? What kind of handshake is that?" she asked with a smirk.

Leon gave a small smirk of his own, before gripping the smaller hand more securely and uttering his name for her.

"Ah, there we go, _Leon_," she said, lifting her hand to twirl it in her short black hair. "Anyway, I'm here to show you to your table. You'll be traveling with Commander Fair and Aerith Gainsborough, the Cetra assigned to check out this mystery," she explained as she led the man toward their destination.

Leon frowned, thinking about it for a moment. "Only three of us?" he asked, slightly dubious.

"Yep. And hopefully four on your way back, right?" she asked with a wink back toward him, before they arrived at the table with the soldier and a woman in pink. "And this is where I bid you adieu, my dear Leon. It was a _pleasure_ to meet you," she said with another wink, before she promptly turned and skipped away.

Leon blinked after her and turned to look at the two sitting on opposite sides of the table. Thankfully, he was on the side with the woman, as opposed to the man who seemed to have an attitude with him. He looked down at the woman and opened his mouth to introduce himself before she stood and looked at him with a smile and the greenest pair of eyes he had ever seen.

"Hello, Leon. I'm Aerith," she said sweetly, holding her hand out. Leon grasped her hand loosely, and was rather surprised when her shake was firm and controlled.

"We leave in ten minutes, so eat," Zack said neutrally. When Leon looked at the other man, he saw none of the aggression that was present the night before. In fact, the commander wasn't even looking in his direction. Apparently his toast was much more interesting.

"Thanks for the heads up," Leon said sarcastically as he and Aerith sat down.

Zack looked up with a raised eyebrow, "_I'm_ not the one who got up late."

Leon's eyes narrowed, and a remark was on his lips before he was cut off by the woman to his right.

"Leon can take as much time as he needs to eat," Aerith said with a furrowed brow. Zack looked at her with a surprised face, before he lowered his gaze back to his food. "It's not going anywhere, Zack," Aerith said softly.

"Yeah, I know," the soldier muttered. After a few silent moments during which Leon began to eat his food, Zack let out a heavy sigh and looked up, reaching a hand behind himself to rub the back of his neck.

"Look, man, it's nothing against you personally, so I'm sorry. It's just that we've had a lot of attacks from some crazy anarchists lately, and I'm not the most willing to trust people anymore. Then with this whole possible Hidden One, I just…I'm just anxious, okay?" Zack said in a spill, looking at the brunette in front of him.

Leon looked at him with his usual blank expression for a few moments before nodding. "It's alright. I get it," he said blandly.

Zack narrowed an eye at him, and leaned a little closer. "I'd ask if we're cool, but you're just so…eh, excuse the word choice, but dead. Your expression never changes unless you're angry and your voice is so…" Zack gestured in the air with his hands, looking for the right word.

"Nonchalant? Boring? Monotonous?" Leon asked with reserved humor.

Zack smirked, resting his hand in his chin. "I take it you get that a lot."

"Yeah, that and more," Leon responded, putting the last bite of his food in his mouth.

"Soooo…" the soldier started, looking up to the ceiling, "…are we cool? Me spilling my guts and insecurities and all."

Leon let a small smirk twist the corner of his lips at the other man's attempt at humor. "Yeah, I think we're okay." He sighed, leaned over to check the magazine in his gunblade, and stood. "Let's go see this Hidden One."

~o+o~

Leon led the way to the forest he had emerged from the day before, keeping quiet as he listened to the other two in his party chat amongst themselves. Originally, they had tried to include him by asking questions about his background, but after several elusive answers and more than one shrug and "whatever," they quickly realized that the brunette was in no mood to talk.

"It sounds like a water element, from what Leon said," Aerith hummed, putting a hand to her chin as her boots crunched the leaves and twigs underneath. "Maybe it really _is_ a Hidden One. You know, since Reeve seems to doubt it so much," she continued.

Zack nodded slowly, his thoughts drawing away from his surroundings as he contemplated what they might find once they made it to this cave. Would it really be Cloud…? The solider knew that it was foolish and dangerous to his emotional health to hope so blindly, but he was helpless to stop from doing so.

"No, it just happens sometimes. No need to worry," Zack heard Aerith saying, before he realized that they had come to a halt.

"What's going on?" Zack asked.

"You were zoning out again, that's what," Aerith giggled.

Leon stared at the other man, his expression as indiscernible as usual. "We're about to go into the cave. If there's monsters lurking, I don't want to be fighting it alone," he deadpanned, his eyes boring into Zack's.

"Hey now, no need for hostility," Zack mumbled, his right hand reaching back reflexively to feel his sword.

"No hostility. Just making sure I won't be depending on someone to be at my back when they're not."

Zack cringed. "Yeah, sorry. No worries, I'm here from now on. One thing I won't do is let a comrade down," he said, meeting Leon's piercing stare.

A moment of silence passed between the two, before Leon nodded and the corner of his lips twitched up. "Yeah, then let's go, _comrade_."

~o+o~

**A/N:** Two days late, WHUT.

I'm a horrible person. This chapter is automatically not as good because it wasn't updated on Tuesday. D': My excuse is that I left my jump drive at school on Tuesday, and I was home sick yesterday. The moral of the story? Revalations no longer keeps her chapters in one single place. xD

I really do apologize. The things I hate the most are inconsistency and insincerity. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter.

~Revalations


	6. Chapter Five: What We'll Never Know

Deserted

Chapter 5: What We'll Never Know

~o+o~

The three walked for a few more minutes, a roar of water getting louder with each step. Zack was carefully eyeing their surroundings, watching for any sign of monsters or enemies while Leon concentrated primarily on getting to the waterfall. Aerith hovered in between them, her nerves steadily mounting as they drew nearer to their destination.

When the group stopped at the edge of the pond where the waterfall emptied itself, they all took a collective breath. Leon turned to the other two, and motioned that they were going into the pond and to the waterfall. Zack nodded, a look of determination setting his face more seriously than usual. Aerith blanched a little, but she nodded as well. Leon grabbed the hilt of his gunblade and lifted it up so it wouldn't be dragging through the water. Zack did the same with his buster sword, holding it up and out in an intimidating fashion.

While the two men were readying themselves, Aerith bit her bottom lip, her hands twisting on themselves. She knew that she had to wake the Hidden One, but she wasn't sure it was in her ability. She had actually seen the elders wake Tifa, but they said that every experience is different…and they had sent her, alone, because they couldn't spare many Cetra for a possible false alarm. What if she failed? What if something went wrong? What if…

Zack had turned to her and raised an eyebrow, a concerned look occupying his countenance. The woman offered a fake smile, and lifted her skirt, though she knew she would be drenched by the waterfall anyway. She walked past the soldier, and followed Leon as they waded carefully into the pond.

Aerith had been expecting freezing water, even though the day this day and the day before had been strangely warm. The water itself was pleasant, like a lukewarm bath. The wetness was to their waists by the time the mist from the cascading water started to impede their vision. The roaring had jumped tenfold in volume as well, and the two heard Leon shout something before the shadow of his body disappeared completely in front of them. Zack realized that he had gone through the waterfall, so he grabbed Aerith's hand without giving her time to think, and charged them both through the tons of water that pelted down on them.

Leon stopped them from colliding into a nearly shoulder-high wall of naturally formed stone, holding his hands out. The roaring was still thunderous, so Leon motioned that they needed to climb the wall before doing so himself. Zack grimaced and secured his buster sword to the magnet on his back, even though they were still in waist-deep water. He motioned for Aerith to grab the top of the wall before he leaned down to boost her over. When she was up with Leon, Zack hoisted himself up and shook like a dog to get what excess water he could off of him. _By Quezacotl, I broke the promise to never again subject myself to this much water again._

They walked a ways into the cavern to escape the noise of the waterfall, and when the roaring was a distant growl, they stopped to try and dry themselves. When Zack looked around, he saw Aerith wringing her braid and dress out, her nose wrinkling from the feeling of being soaked. Leon was calmly pulling at the white shirt sticking to him, his hair dripping though he'd shaken much like Zack had. The soldier raised an eyebrow at the other man, noticing the water sliding steadily down the rest of his leather clothing. Leon turned his head to look at him and met his gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. This outfit is going to be ruined now. Leather cracks if you get it too wet," he said with an undertone of annoyance, though his lips pulled up a little at the corner. Zack deduced that this was his way of joking, and smiled in reply. It went without saying that there was going to be a lot of work to do, to keep their swords from rusting when they got back to the base.

The three got as dry as they were going to be when they turned and faced the mouth of the deep cavern in front of them. Leon noticed that there were torches just like the ones in his vision on the sides of the cave, and he reached out to grab one. Aerith grabbed one as well, but Zack refused when Leon motioned to one. "I have a two-handed sword. Can't use it if one of my hands is taken," he explained.

And so, they pressed forward for another amount of time. Aerith sighed, her nerves rolling around in her stomach like a nest of rambunctious chocobo chicks. She couldn't tell how long they traversed the dank cave, but the torches were becoming sparse now, giving less and less light as they pressed forward. The arm holding her own torch was tired, her feet were tired, and overall, _she_ was tired. But the men kept moving forward, and so did she.

Leon paused mid-stride a while later, listening. The other two in his party stopped as well, confused, but they kept silent. When the brunette turned to them, he bowed his head.

"The room is ahead. In my vision, there was a pillar of light in a room full of water. I'm assuming that's what we're going to find, so be ready. I didn't see any monsters, but be wary just in case," he said lowly. The other two nodded, and they started forward again.

When the cave widened out to show the end of the cave, Zack and Aerith stopped and stared. They'd heard Leon's description, but it was nothing compared to the real life sight of it. Strange colors blended into a bright column of light in the middle of the pond that sloshed onto the dirt in front of them in waves, like the ocean.

Leon looked over to see the broadsword and shredded Shinra uniform just as in his vision. With this confirmation, the man turned to tell Aerith to start, but held his tongue at the look on her face. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, her whole body leaning toward the light in front of her.

The Cetra started to move forward in an odd shamble, her eyes never blinking or leaving the construction of water and light in front of her. Both men went to stop her when she reached the water, but a cool wind ran through the cavern, and blew out the torches in Aerith's and Leon's hands, and coursed the bittersweet taste of magic into each of them. Aerith dropped the flameless torch on the dirt before she stepped on the water, in a trance with the only light source left in the room.

She glided over to the pillar emanating the soft light, and soon she knelt in front of it and held her hands out. Not a moment later, they heard singing radiating through the room, through them and through the planet itself, as she strove to wake the Hidden One inside the ominous light.

~o+o~

Leon and Zack decided to sit down on the dirt, as it had been quite some time since Aerith had started to sing. They both stared out at the light, watching it swirl about as the Cetra continued to kneel in front of it, singing her heard out to the planet. There was no need to talk between the two, only a companionable silence as they waited for the song to end.

Zack thought about the result of finding this Hidden One, because that's definitely what was in the light in front of them. If it was Cloud, what then? Yeah, he'd take the boy back under his wing and watch over him like a hawk, but…but what else? What if he wanted more than that? He didn't want to be the mentor anymore, he wanted so much _more_… And if it wasn't Cloud, then he was in for a very long bout of major depression. Reeve would not be happy.

A heavy thump against the ground caused Zack to snap out of his drifting thoughts, and he looked over to Leon to ask what that was. But as he looked at the brunette, he discovered it _was_ Leon—he'd passed out cold against the floor!

Zack crawled the few feet between them and shook his shoulder. No response. He checked to make sure the man was still breathing, and he was. The planet had started to respond in kind when Leon hit the ground, so perhaps that meant he was given another task to complete. Zack frowned at this revelation and sat back on his haunches, before looking back at the light and the woman. Making a scene wouldn't help anything, and…if Leon _was_ somewhere else in mind, then he'd better get whatever job he was assigned done. Zack fell to his butt with a sigh of annoyance. _Why am _I _always the one that's left out?_

~o+o~

He heard Aerith singing, he heard the planet responding, but he felt miles away. Each moment took him further, until he was back in the place with an endless stretch of water. Again, Leon looked in every direction in search of _something_, before he saw the boy in front of him. This time he was already facing him, a small smile on his face as they met the other's gaze.

"I knew you'd come back for me," he said softly, through his voice carried and echoed strangely.

"You're…a Hidden One?" Leon asked dumbly, his eyes wider than usual.

The boy giggled. "Yeah. The representative of Water, if you haven't noticed. A servant of Leviathan."

Leon opened his mouth to respond, but his mind was turning so fast that he couldn't keep up with it. His eyes were stuck on the blonde boy in front of him, and the sight of him seemed to drive coherent speech out of his abilities.

"As much as I _love_ being stuck in this place," the Hidden One started, gesturing at the water, "I think it's best if we leave while the window is still open. Okay, Squall?" he smiled, holding a hand out.

Leon didn't have enough of his thought process working to become offended at the use of his first name. He grasped the hand held out to him instantly, and followed as the boy began to walk. It was then that the brunette looked down and noticed he was thigh-deep in the water that surrounded them, but he didn't feel wet. He decided they must be in an in-between world, something real but beyond recognizable boundaries.

"You're right, it's not quite here or there," the boy hummed softly, not looking back at the man following him.

"Uh…what?" Leon asked, not aware that he had said anything aloud.

"Oh, ah…sorry," the boy said, shooting an apologetic look over his shoulder. "Since you're the one I called out to, my consciousness is kind of in your head right now, since I can't return to my body until the Cetra finishes her mantra. I'm trying real hard not to look through your mind, or your memories or anything, but specific things you're thinking about are difficult to escape," he said sheepishly.

Leon blinked, unable to think of a response. He could go through his mind…? That's a little too personal for somebody he just met.

"I know, I'm sorry," he said quietly, still leading them through the endless stretch of water.

After what could have been hours, Leon finally spoke.

"Do you know where we're going?"

The blonde slowed, still gripping the other man's hand tightly. "Well…not exactly. But we'll find the way out once we hear the Cetra's voice. Then we just follow, and that's that," he replied softly.

"You know for certain?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Hidden One stopped then, and looked back with an unwavering gaze.

"The planet told me so."

Again, Leon was subjected to the deep ocean blue of those eyes. It was almost hypnotic, like a warm dream that nobody ever wants to wake from. But then he blinked, and the warm blanket was pulled out from around the brunette, and he was thrust back into reality.

"Shall we keep going, then?" the boy asked uncertainly, still staring up at Leon's face.

"Ye-yeah," the man stuttered.

They continued forward, listening for any hint of Aerith's voice as a hint of how to leave the enormous prison of water, but Leon couldn't help but acknowledge the notion that even if he were stuck there forever, he didn't think he would mind very much if it were an eternity spent with the beautiful boy leading him.

Then, another stray thought rooted itself in Leon's mind.

"Is your name…Cloud?" Leon asked tentatively, watching the side of the boy's face for any sign of unhappiness stemming from the question.

They slowed to a stop again, before the blonde boy turned and looked at him with a sheepish smile. "How very rude of me, not introducing myself when I already knew you," he said with a light blush.

Leon shook his head, about to protest when the boy continued.

"It's okay, let me start. Yes, my name is Cloud, Cloud Strife. Or, formerly Private Strife, Squad Seven of the Shinra Infantry Corps." He giggled at Leon's dumbstruck face. "Does that answer your question?"

"Uh…yeah," Leon started, his eyes wide and watching the face in front of his. Then he frowned. "Wait, how old are you?" he asked, losing all pretence of trying not to offend him. If this kid was as young as he looked, he would have joined the army at a _very_ young age.

Cloud lifted a hand to rest under his chin while he donned a contemplating look. "Well…I was fifteen when the planet called me to sit quietly in here. But I can't tell time, because the sun is always in the same place. I assume it's been a few years, but I can't be too sure. The Sorcerer War was starting to get real nasty; the ones that turned rogue were beginning to target the magic users still siding with the planet…" he trailed off, looking up to Leon for confirmation.

The brunette furrowed his brow, thinking about what time the War had started turning. "That would have been three…four or five years ago, when I first heard of it," Leon said bemusedly, his gaze never leaving the other's face.

Cloud nodded, not perturbed by this information. "That makes a certain amount of sense. I assume that things have calmed enough to let me out?" he asked with a small smile.

"Well…" Leon started, having to clear his throat and try again. "Well, yes, I suppose. There aren't very many humans left, now. When we get out of here, we're going back to one of the WRO bases; it's a safe haven for all three races."

Cloud raised an eyebrow in confusion. "WRO?"

"World Restoration Organization," the brunette clarified. "It's where all magic users and Cetra go for safety now. There's bands of anarchists- anti-magic users," he amended after another confused look from Cloud, "all over Gaia, destroying any trace of magic they find."

The boy frowned. "I never understood why Sorcerers started killing other Sorcerers…" he said softly, and there was such dismal depression in his voice that Leon nearly drew him into an embrace. Cloud started speaking again before he could move. "Are there…a lot of people in these WRO bases?"

"Yeah, a bunch," Leon nodded.

"Have you met a lot of them?"

"No, I just arrived at one of the bases yesterday. The day before was when I heard you calling to me," Leon said, staring at the other. "Why?"

Cloud bit his lip, turning away so that Leon could only see his profile. "I just…wanted to know if you met somebody I'm going to look for, that's all," he muttered.

"Zack, right?"

Cloud was instantly a few inches away, causing Leon to widen his eyes lean back abruptly.

"You know him? You know where he is?" Cloud asked quickly, his eyes lighting up even more spectacularly than they were before.

Leon resisted the urge to smile at the childlike way the blonde was acting. "Yeah, he's waiting out where we're gonna go. He's with the Cetra…and my body, apparently."

Cloud's smile was the most beautiful thing the man had ever seen. Everything about the world seemed richer, fuller and more optimistic with that simple upturn of his lips.

"That makes me…so happy," Cloud sighed, clasping his hands together in front of his chest.

A vague, unpleasant feeling was slithering through Leon at the sight of Cloud so exuberant over the mere thought of another person. He tried to quell this emotion by remembering that he'd just barely met the boy, but it wouldn't go away. It clawed through his veins and grasped at his heart, but he strangled the feeling before it could get out of hand, pushing it back and thrusting it in a cage with the rest of his emotions.

By the time his inner struggle was over, Cloud was looking at him with a funny expression. "Are you okay?" he asked slowly, cocking his head to the side.

Leon nodded, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Though Cloud obviously wanted to inquire further, he kept quiet and took Leon's hand again, before they started moving forward once more. The younger of the two bit his lower lip, trying to decide whether or not to bring up the emotion he had felt going through Leon's mind. It would be awkward, but he was just so _curious_ as to why he felt that way.

Before he could make his final decision, he heard a melody in the distance, and stopped abruptly.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, turning his face to listen more closely.

Leon nodded, before pointing with the hand not clasped in Cloud's and starting to move again. "Let's get back," he said softly.

Cloud turned to look at Leon, and smiled as they both started a faster pace toward the soft singing.

"Squall…I want to thank you. For helping me out like you have. It really means a lot to me," he said earnestly, looking up to the man next to him without breaking the pace.

Leon grit his teeth at the name, but let it slide for now. "You're welcome. I'll help anyone in need."

"I believe you would." Cloud smiled, before looking forward again. The singing was louder now, the words distinguishable, but impossible to comprehend because the song was in the Cetran language. "I don't know exactly what's going to happen when we get back, but I do know that I will be asleep for a little while, because my body has been dormant and stationary for several years, if your estimations are correct. I know it's selfish of me, but…when I wake, I would very much like to meet you again," he said, glancing sideways to gauge Leon's response.

The melody was loud now, a roaring that shook their bodies as the world began to fade into a swirling mass of blue and gray.

_You have no idea how much I want to see you, too._

The world went dark and silent.

~o+o~

_Several minutes earlier…_

Zack was pacing a short line on the dirt just before the water. It was _killing _him not to be up there with Aerith, not to be able to see who was in that pillar of light. Though he had a natural avoidance to water because of his element, he would have waded through all of it just so he could _know_ because _not knowing_ was destroying him from the inside out. He figured he shouldn't disturb her while she was in the middle of her song as it might ruin the spell, and if that's how it had to be for the Hidden One to wake, then Zack wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize it.

Aerith's voice was soft, and her hands were outstretched toward the bright light like a gift from Gaia herself. The light had started pulsing every few minutes about a half hour ago, when Leon had dropped to the ground like he was dead. Zack glanced at his body lying on the ground and felt a wash of jealousy surge through his body. It was so strong that he stopped and stared at Leon, distaste apparent in his expression.

"You'd better not screw anything up," his envy growled out, before continuing his pacing. Suddenly, the light grew brighter mid-pulse, and Aerith's voice ceased. Zack's head spun toward the light, before he lifted a hand to shield his eyes.

For a few moments everything was white and silent. Zack lowered his hand slowly, his eyes no longer hurt by the light. He saw a great blue dragon twisted around a human figure, glaring out with a beady red eye at those who dared to disturb its charge. Zack fell to his knees gracefully, tilting his head downward when he realized he was in Leviathan's presence. He kept his head down until the light faded. Though he was terribly anxious and excited to see the Hidden One, incurring the wrath of one of Gaia's treasured Guardian Forces was definitely not going to help.

When Zack's eyes adjusted back to normal lighting, he noticed Leon sitting up nearby, gazing out at the water where Aerith was. Zack turned his gaze to her as well, and saw that instead of the pillar of light that had been there, the Cetra was kneeling down on the water holding another person to her. Zack tried to see what they looked like, but Aerith was sitting with her back to them, and so blocked his view. The soldier took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, praying to the Goddess for patience. He glanced over to Leon, who hadn't moved since he noticed him standing there.

"Well?" Zack asked softly, looking at the other man with a neutral expression.

Leon let out a breath from his nose before turning to face Zack. "Well what?" he replied in the same tone.

"What happened when you were comatose out here?" Zack asked, the impatience he was trying to quell leaking out into his voice.

Leon looked back to where Aerith was now standing with the person in her arms. "I was with him. He needed me to help him get out of his prison."

"Annnnnnnnd?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning forward expectantly.

Leon furrowed his brow in annoyance, standing and stepping away from him. "What do you want me to tell you? That your boyfriend is back from the dead?" he asked with a glower.

Zack blinked with an appalled expression, standing straight again. "Well, I…you…" he started, his mouth gaping like a fish. He'd gotten on Leon's good side that morning, he didn't mean to offend him now. "I didn't mean to demand anything of you, but…it's really important to me," the solider started again, letting a fringe of anxiety into his voice. He stood as well, nearly the same height as the other man.

Leon, who had turned to look away, looked back at the soldier and locked gazes with him. The purple of Zack's irises was burning, churning with anxious fear. Leon's cool gray eyes faltered with the pure, raw emotions he saw there, and he felt himself crumble a little. He had opened his mouth to speak when Aerith interrupted.

"I realize this is an important bonding moment for you guys," she started, laughing at the small pun she made about the bond, "but I really can't carry him by myself."

The two men looked over simultaneously to see that she had kneeled back down on the water's surface, still holding the Hidden One to her. The only thing that had changed was that she had wrapped the spare blanket in her pack around him, effectively covering him up.

Leon immediately started forward, though he didn't float on the surface of the water like the Cetra did when she was pulled toward the light. Zack was beside him, his teeth gritted at the feel of so much water around him. When they reached the two on the water, Zack walked around Aerith and held his arms out to cradle the boy in his arms. Leon reached out and tentatively brushed the Cetra's arm, and when the touch connected them, it was like the magic suddenly disappeared from the cavern; the warmth of the water was gone, replaced instead with a chill from Shiva herself, as Aerith found out when she no longer floated on the surface.

She couldn't help the screech that left her lips at the violent change in temperature, and Leon grabbed her shoulders to make sure she didn't lose her balance and fall on the slippery rocks beneath them. When the man turned to see Zack, however, the temperature hadn't seemed to affect him one bit. His expression was of surprise and relief as he clutched the Hidden One to him.

"Cloud…it _is_ you," Zack whispered, and he swore that he'd never felt such emotion before in his life.

~o+o~

**A/N:** Whoooo, another two weeks have passed! Dang, my graduation is soon. O_o Scary! Well, with that said, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter.

Things only get more complicated from here. 8D Oh, I do enjoy a good love polygon. I'll see you awesome people two weeks from now, on June 1st. Oh, and please do review. I respond to every single one, and I'm getting a ton of favorites and alerts, but not very many reviews. If you like it, if you hate it, please tell me why. I'm trying to make it better for your reading enjoyment. xD

~Revalations


	7. Chapter Six: Water and Ice

Deserted

Chapter 6: Water and Ice

The trip back to the base seemed longer than their original hike to the cave for Aerith. Zack didn't even flinch going through the waterfall again, holding Cloud closely and braving it—or rather, ignoring it. She noticed the soldier's gaze on the boy in his arms; it was so intense she couldn't look for long because she felt she was intruding. There was no talk between the three for the hours it took them to trek back to their stronghold.

Zack split off from the other two almost immediately after they entered the tall metal gates, carrying his burden in the direction of the Sanctuary without a word. Leon raised an eyebrow at the man's departure, glancing at the Cetra for an explanation. He saw her hurt expression and knew that he would get none. Instead, he put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"He's deep in thought. Don't hold it against him," Leon reassured, though he had no idea why he was defending the man; he was being an ass again.

Aerith shook her head. "I just don't understand…" she trailed off, before turning and heading to the mess hall, tottering distractedly.

Leon narrowed his eyes, heaving a great sigh before heading in the direction where he thought his room might be.

~o+o~

Try as Leon might, he couldn't seem to catch a break long enough to get any rest. On the search for his room, he was intercepted by Zell, who informed him of the mass gathering at the Sanctuary later on that very night.

The Sanctuary was like a prayer chamber for Sorcerers and Cetra; before the war, every town had one. Back when Sorcerers were revered, they would drift between towns and stayed at the Sanctuaries for shelter, and the commoners would bring them food—needless to say, they were rarely in want of the necessities. Bigger cities, like Hollow Bastion had once been, kept their Sanctuaries in the residing castle, so that the visiting magic users and Cetra would meet the royal families before praying.

Leon shook his head, his hair swaying with the movement. "Three hours of sleep is not enough to run on. Give me a break here, my reserves ran out about ten minutes ago, and now I may as well be zombified," the brunette said exhaled, with not even enough energy to accomplish the sigh that usually accompanied his protests.

"But it's so rare for a group gathering—" Zell started, a pleading look on his face as Leon interrupted him.

"Zell. I'm tired. I'm still damp, and I'm in a very, very bad mood. I'll go tomorrow or something—" Leon started, but this time the blonde cut him off.

"Leon, we leave tomorrow."

Leon blinked, stopping his effort to get around Zell. After a few moments of silence, Leon grit out his question. "What do you mean, 'we leave tomorrow'?"

Zell set his jaw, letting out a sharp breath through his nose. "Don't you remember what Reeve said when we first got here? This base is _leaving_. Everyone's transferring to the Balamb haven because of how much frost they've been getting. It was warm there for a day or two when we got out of the mountains, but look even now; it's beginning to snow again," the Sorcerer said calmly, gesturing at the window that Leon didn't acknowledge.

Leon let the all the breath leave his body in one great heave, as he sagged against the stone wall beside him. Zell let out a grunt as he sprung into motion and tried to keep his companion upright, grabbing Leon around the shoulders and holding the other man to himself.

"Dude, maybe you really _do_ need some sleep. I'm sorry, I'll get you to your room," Zell muttered, starting to try and half-carry, half-drag the brunette down the hall and to his designated quarters.

Leon protested then, pushing the blonde away from him. Zell let himself be pressed away, lifting his arms in a sign that he wasn't hostile. Leon leaned against the wall, turning to push his forehead against the cool stone. As he gathered the strength to push away, he spoke.

"What time?"

"Uh…sundown. Should be in an hour or two," Zell answered, biting his lip.

Leon nodded awkwardly with his head still against the wall, before he pushed away from it and gathered his bearings.

"It'd be an insult not to show. Just Sorcerers and Cetra, right?" Leon asked, gazing wearily at his comrade.

Zell nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "Yeah, no commoners in on this. We're gonna pray for a safe journey, I think. But hey, you really don't have to go. They'll understand, you're _really_ overworked, even I can tell."

Leon shook his head before Zell stopped speaking. "No, I'm going. It shouldn't be that long of a ceremony. I've been needing to pray for a while anyway; Shiva's been pretty distant with me lately," Leon half-joked, before trudging in the opposite direction he originally tried for.

"Hey, wait…aren't you gonna nap before the prayer?" Zell asked confusedly, absently pointing in the direction of Leon's room.

"If I get within twenty yards of my room, I'm gonna conk out and get a concussion from hitting my head against something unpleasant. I'm going to the mess hall, hopefully they'll have something that can keep me awake another few hours," Leon grumbled, occasionally using the wall as a support.

Zell looked after him for a few moments with the same confused look before a grin broke through his features. Ever the trooper, their fearless leader. He ran to catch up with the other man, clapping him on the shoulder as they made their way to the great hall.

~o+o~

An hour or so later, Leon made his way to the Sanctuary, flanked by Rinoa and Zell. The woman to his side still wouldn't look him in the face, and kept to herself since the incident in his room the night before. Leon ignored it, far too tired to deal with the emotional drama that seemed to follow him everywhere.

When they reached the tall stone doors, all three pairs of eyes widened in awe- they'd never seen such a huge Sanctuary in their life. They stood there for a few moments before Leon cleared his throat and started walking forward again, but their heads kept swiveling in every direction, taking in every marvel and masterpiece around them.

The Sanctuary was circular in shape, with enormous statues of the eight Guardian Forces around the sides. Statues of Hyne and Gaia were directly in front of them at the head of the room, overlooking the rest on a raised platform. To either side of each statue was a door, behind which were rooms for private worship of a specific GFs. To save space, the room between every two GF statues was used as a combined private worship for the statues on either side of it. Though these rooms weren't used during mass worship, they were open to anyone who wished to enter at any other time of the day.

While Leon was staring at the architecture and paintings along the walls between the statues, Rinoa had broken her silence and had been gushing about meeting new Sorcerers, how it had been so long and so on. Honestly, Leon couldn't care less about meeting new people- in fact, he hated it. And he much preferred to go to the Sanctuary on his own time.

The room was maybe a third full of people, of magic users and Cetra alike. It was politely stated that commoners were not allowed tonight, because the Cetra and Sorcerers wanted to bond with the planet in peace. Even so, it was surprising to Leon that there was such a great amount of noncoms left in the world.

Rinoa gasped quietly at Leon's side, causing him to look at her. She pulled on his jacket, not seeing that she already had his attention.

"Look, look! A Hidden One," she whispered, though it wasn't necessary; there was enough quaint conversation around them to mask her voice.

The man looked to where her finger was subtly pointing. There was a woman with longer dark hair, her back facing them. Leon could tell this was her without even having to reach out with his magic—the power that radiated from her was signature enough.

With their eyes were still on her, the two saw Zack walk up to her and start a conversation. Leon's eyes narrowed slightly, still a little put-off from his less than considerate leave earlier. He watched the exchange he couldn't here between them, and it was a very animated discussion if the way they were gesturing wildly to each other had any say in it.

Zack suddenly looked over his shoulder at a nod from the woman, and turned around with his arms spread and an enormous smile. Leon's eyes widened when he saw what Zack was smiling at—the blonde boy, the one they'd rescued walked over to the black haired man and accepted his embrace, his arms wrapping around the soldier's back.

Rinoa and Zell called after him when Leon pulled out of the woman's hold and disappeared into the crowd, toward Cloud. He stopped far enough away that he wouldn't be spotted, but close enough to hear some of the words being said.

"—glad you're feeling better, sunshine! Man, you don't know how happy I am, seriously. I was worried you were gonna keep sleeping til New Year's!"

Leon found himself frowning at the use of a pet name for Cloud, but quickly shut down that emotion before it started to control him again. He continued listening.

"I think you're gonna suffocate him—Zack, seriously," came a woman's voice. Leon inferred that this was the other Hidden One.

There was a gasp of breath and a soft but unintelligible murmur from Cloud as Zack let go, causing Leon to move closer to hear.

"—gonna kill me if you keep that up," Cloud choked, coughing roughly.

Leon loved his voice.

Zack smirked, sliding an arm around the boy's shoulders. "Well then, I guess it'd be a crime of passion, huh?" he said, leering at the smaller man.

Leon couldn't see the blonde's face, but he imagined he rolled his eyes. Cloud shook his head as Zack and the woman laughed.

The candles decorating the room dimmed then, casting a calm darkness around the Sanctuary. This signaled the beginning of the session of thanks and prayer to Hyne, Gaia and the Guardian Forces. Leon made his way back to Rinoa and Zell quickly, ignoring their questioning looks and taking his appropriate place. The brunette couldn't help but glance over to Cloud every few minutes. When his gaze lingered, Rinoa elbowed him. He looked at her, finding a reprimanding tone in her eyes, before it changed to a question.

Leon shrugged in response, putting his nonchalant manner on once again as the mass worship continued on.

~o+o~

When the ceremony ended, Leon was in the cue to leave the Sanctuary with Zell and Rinoa, his energy level dropping far below the dangerous level again. His thoughts consisted entirely of a bed, more than three hours of dreamless sleep, and most of all, complete freedom of his obligations for a while. He was about to cross the threshold when he glanced back at the sound of Rinoa's voice. She was talking to the woman who was once a Hidden One, but Leon was looking over her shoulder within a second of his glance back.

Cloud opened the door to the private room between Shiva and Leviathan, and he quickly disappeared behind the heavy stone entrance. Leon's eyes drooped at the thought of staying up even _later_, but he was too intrigued; besides, he might never get this opportunity again, what with Zack hanging over him all the time. That, plus the fact that Cloud _did_ specifically ask to see him again…why not now?

Leon started toward the place the blonde disappeared to, offering an absent "goodnight" to Rinoa before she could question him about anything.

When he reached the door, he opened it as quietly as he could, and closed it in the same manner. There was a fountain dribbling crystal clear water into a small manmade basin, reminiscent to the immensely larger body of water Cloud had been trapped in. The walls were frosted over so that they shone, but the temperature didn't bother Leon. Something about the cold gray stone drained the color and brightness from everything, leaving only a stale black-to-white hue in the room. He walked slowly toward the water, where he saw Cloud kneeling in front of it, head back and arms limp at his sides. The brunette was suddenly anxious, unsure of what he should do. He meant to speak with Cloud, but what about? He had no right to interrupt his prayer to Leviathan, how thoughtless, perhaps he should leave…

But before he could choose any one train of thought to listen to, Cloud interrupted.

"Are you going to join me or stand there like a wendigo on a cold night?"

Leon almost jumped. Almost.

Cloud leaned back onto his butt and turned his head to look at the brunette.

"Well?"

Leon blinked and moved forward, his eyes never leaving the color-leached blonde. The thing that stood out to him most was the color of Cloud's eyes- even in the colorless room, they stood out in shining relief, almost bringing the intensity back to the room. His eyes would forever mark him as special, as a Hidden One; they were his testament and eternal gift for being the planet's chosen.

While Leon was next to the blonde, they sat at eye-level and stared at each other for several long moments. Cloud smiled suddenly and said, "I'm glad you came to see me again."

Leon blinked, staring at the radiant expression on his face.

"Yeah," he offered softly, ignoring the urge to wince at the lameness of his comment.

After a few more moments of an awkward staring contest, Cloud tried again.

"So…Squall…"

"Leon," the brunette corrected immediately.

Cloud frowned, his lips pouting out with the expression.

"I thought it was—"

"I don't go by that anymore," he said, facing forward abruptly.

He saw Cloud deflate from the corner of his eye, and immediately felt guilty.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know," the blonde offered tentatively.

Leon sighed, putting a hand to the bridge of his nose. He really hadn't meant to make Cloud feel bad. He really needed to work on sensitizing his words.

"Look, I…it's okay. I'm not mad," Leon started before putting his hand down and turning his head to look at Cloud. The blonde was facing the pond again, with his head down and his hands clasped in his lap.

Leon sighed again, before turning his body to face Cloud's and reaching out to put his hands on the boy's shoulders. He gently but firmly turned the younger man toward him, though his magnificent blue eyes were still shut. Without any thought, Leon's hand went under Cloud's chin and pulled his face up, with only inches of space between them.

"Look at me, Cloud."

Cloud's eyes opened then looked up into the brunette's gaze. They stared at each other again for a few moments before Cloud blurted out his thoughts.

"I thought you would hate me for invading your mind. I honestly didn't mean to see anything, all I wanted was to let you know I needed to be rescued. I'm not sure why you changed your name, but I didn't know, so I hope you'll find it somewhere inside of you to forgive me for being so informal and—"

Leon lifted a hand and touched the backs of his fingers to Cloud's lips to quiet him.

"It's okay. I already said I'm not mad. I'm not going to condemn you for something you didn't know about. As for the invading my mind thing, I'm not angry about that either. I was a little annoyed in the beginning because I didn't understand what was happening." Leon's hand was still on Cloud's lips, his other on the blonde's shoulder.

Cloud's hands went up to the larger on in front of his face and grasped it, bringing it down to his chest. His eyes followed their hands and stayed there as he replied.

"That makes me…happy."

Cloud looked up with the most radiant smile Leon had ever seen. He suddenly had the urge to lean down and make that smile his own, ravage that mouth for all it was worth. Leon blinked at the unfamiliar feeling and pulled his hand away.

Cloud blinked and his smile faded at the action, and Leon nearly hit himself when he realized the feeling his gesture must have given the other man.

He stood and looked down to Cloud, offering a silent hand. Cloud looked at it in confusion, then up to Leon's face. He smiled again when he realized the other's intent, taking the outstretched hand and pulling himself up.

"Weren't you here to pray?" Cloud asked as they moved toward the door.

Leon shrugged, pulling the handle on the door and opening it.

"Don't feel like it anymore." Leon hesitated, before offering his hand again. "Do you want to go…talk somewhere with me?" he asked quietly.

Cloud nodded and grasped his hand once again. They left the private prayer rooms and walked back through the main Sanctuary, leaving the great room behind as they turned down whatever hallway they felt like exploring, still holding hands and talking in hushed tones all the way.

What they failed to notice while strolling down one particular hallway was a pair of scrutinizing eyes watching their dawdling progress. Violet irises flashed in the torchlight before disappearing down another hallway, quickly and quietly out of sight.

~o+o~

**A/N:** Sooooo! Good stuff, bad stuff, oh noes, what shall happen next? xD

Oh, happy Tuesday! Woohoo! And please wish me luck this Friday, I really don't want to trip on the stage and do an amazing faceplant into the ground right before I grab my diploma. O_o Because that would definitely be my luck. Oh and…

I love you! Don't ever forget it!

-Revalations


	8. Chapter Seven: The Plan

Deserted

Chapter Seven: The Plan

~o+o~

Zack wasn't even aware he was running. It was late, he should be going to bed because they had a big day ahead of them, but he didn't care. What he'd seen in the hallway made his stomach lurch, made his blood burn.

The soldier had exited the sanctuary, stopped and grabbed by lots of people for a word or a question, which he gladly indulged in; after Cloud awoke, he'd been in a great mood. Many casual conversations and laughs later, Zack realized that Cloud wasn't anywhere in sight.

His first thought was that he'd been with Tifa, but he'd already greeted her- and the only person who'd been with the female Hidden One was one of the newcomers from Leon's group. Taking a quick glance around the hallway where people were still congregated, Zack assured himself that there was no spiky blonde hair mulling about. He was positive Cloud had been behind him a while ago, so where—?

His room maybe? It was worth a shot. After all, Cloud had just woken up from a five-year sleep…he was probably exhausted.

Zack politely excused himself from the throng of noncoms and made his way to the wing of te castle that held the living quarters. Cloud's room was at the end of the same hallway as Zack's, of that the soldier had made sure- he wanted Cloud as close to him as possible.

After the relatively long walk, Zack came upon the empty hallway with a smile. He knocked lightly on the door, waiting for a reply. After several seconds of silence, he frowned, knocking a little louder.

"Sunshine…you in there?"

Zack grabbed the knob, turning it and opening the door to a vacant room. His frown deepened, thoughts churning again as he returned to square one as to where Cloud could possibly be. His logic told him that he should start in the last place he saw Cloud- the Sanctuary. Hell, he might even meet the boy on his way back.

By the time he reached the inner corridors that led to the Sanctuary, the people were gone. Not a huge surprise, seeing as the big move was tomorrow morning; sleep was a good idea right now.

As Zack turned the last corner that brought the great stone doors into view, he saw Cloud and Leon heading in the same direction the soldier was facing, their backs to him. He froze, taking in the sight of Cloud- _his _ Cloud- and Leon, that newcomer he _knew_ he couldn't trust, walking away from him, hand in hand, whispering to each other like new lovers.

Before they even turned the corner furthest from Zack, he was gone. He fled back through the now silent and empty corridors and flung one of the side doors open, leading him into a small courtyard. Zack slowed to an abrupt stop, looking up into the little white snowflakes fluttering down to the ground.

_Stop being so overdramatic; he's not technically yours yet,_ Zack thought desperately, trying to reason himself out of the horrible feeling of jealousy and despair that he found himself drowning in. He couldn't stop the screaming of his heart, no matter how many reasons he thought of to try.

Zack lifted his hands to his face as he fell unceremoniously to his knees. He let himself drown in self-pity for a few more minutes before looking back up at the sky desperately.

_Calm down,_ he thought, getting a hold of himself. _If you're afraid of him being taken by someone else…simply win him over yourself._

With that tentative plan in mind, Zack let a smile creep across his face.

~o+o~

Cloud and Leon talked about a lot of things. The scarred man kept surprising himself with the amount of information he offered forth. Most of the things he said were menial and unimportant, but just telling the blonde everything on his mind lifted a weight off of Leon's chest.

They ended up sitting on a large window seat that overlooked one of the large orchards steadily filling with snow. Though they sat on opposite ends of the carpeted seat, Leon never felt closer to anybody than he did now.

Cloud gazed out one of the glass squares, listening to the other man tell him everything. The blonde was quiet, filling the part of the good listener. He'd prompted Leon by asking where he came from, and listened to his tales of home and of their travels. Whenever there was a gap in conversation, Cloud would ask another question about Leon's background, and another story would start.

They sat there for a long while, watching the snow accumulate while the brunette continued his stories. During one of the lapses, Leon turned to face the boy across from him.

"What about you? Where are you from?" he asked, watching Cloud stare out the window. The snow clouds and the whiteness covering the ground caused a strange light to filter through the glass, bathing the boy in an ethereal glow.

Cloud's lips quirked at the corners, but he kept his stare out the window as he answered.

"I'm from here…Hollow Bastion. But my memories are kinda fuzzy, so I don't really have any stories to tell you," he answered simply.

Leon nodded, accepting the answer silently. They fell into a companionable silence for a few minutes before Cloud stifled a yawn, and the elder decided it was time to get to bed, as his own exhaustion was hitting him hard once again.

"Let's get to bed," the brunette said softly, rising from his seat and looking expectantly at the other through lidded eyes.

Cloud nodded, though his gaze lingered out of the window. He stood slowly, tearing his gaze from the snow and looking at the man in front of him. He scrutinized for a few moments before squinting an eye in suspicion.

"How long have you been awake?" Cloud asked.

Leon shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"A while," he answered ominously.

"You look like you're about to topple over," the blonde observed, looking him up and down again.

"I'm not gonna lie. I'm pretty damn tired," Leon admitted, rubbing at his eyes to try and rid himself of the dry feeling. "But I'm also glad I got to talk to you."

At that, Cloud smiled brightly again.

"I'm glad I got to talk to you as well. I was worried I wouldn't find you after I woke, but there you were, huh?" Cloud giggled, his infectious smile still in place.

"Yeah," Leon whispered, looking into the shimmering blue irises in front of him.

Cloud winked before turning and starting down the corridor, leading them back through the winding paths that led to their rooms. They were silent during this part as well, though it was still comfortable. When they reached the second hallway with doors lining each side, Leon paused.

"This is me," Leon whispered, pointing at a door partially obscured by the dancing torchlight.

Cloud nodded, stepping closer as if to utter a goodnight. Instead, he lifted himself to his toes and wrapped his arms around Leon's neck, pressing his face into the man's chest. The elder was shocked, his arms hovering over Cloud's back, not quite sure what to do.

"Goodnight, Leon. Let's talk again sometime, okay?" the blonde whispered, before unwrapping himself from the other man and slipping away silently into the shadows. Leon was left in partial light outside of his room, wondering just what was going on between him and that mysterious blonde.

~o+o~

Cloud danced lightly on the stone floor, walking down several more hallways before turning into the one that held his temporary room. He reached for the knob before looking over his shoulder at the room down the corridor that he knew Zack was staying in. After a quick moment of indecision, he let go of the door in front of him in favor of the one several feet away.

Without knocking, the blonde eased the door open and stepped in, closing it behind him soundlessly. The room was relatively tidy, though there were several things thrown haphazardly on the floor here and there. Cloud wondered when his old friend had become so neat.

Zack was in his bed, the sheets up to his waist and a leg hanging over the edge. His naked chest moved up and down slowly and steadily, indicating to Cloud that he was already in deep sleep.

Taking this advantage, Cloud moved over to the bed unnoticed. He sighed when he realized the bigger man was taking up the whole space, but delicately positioned him differently enough that he could take up a space next to him. Once he was comfortable, Cloud sighed and nuzzled into the body next to him. It comforted him to be reminded of the old times, when he would get scared as a little boy and go running to Zack's room in the middle of the night. Zack never turned him down, always welcoming him with open arms into his bed, and rubbing his back or whispering soothing words in his ear until he fell asleep. The blonde almost wanted to wake his friend up, but decided the soldier needed all the sleep he could get. This was comfort enough for now.

~o+o~

Zack woke up feeling rather uncomfortable the next morning, and his first foggy thought had something to do with wondering why he was on his side. He never slept on his side. Ever. Because every time he did, he woke up with a sore shoulder and a cramped neck. Which is what he had now. Damn it.

His second thought was that morning wood sucks. A lot. Now he'd either have to think about Reeve and Cid in speedos, or try and make it to the nearest facility without being caught, hope it was empty, and whack it off quickly before he could be interrupted.

His third thought caused the breath in his lungs to freeze and his body to tense- there was somebody besides himself in his bed.

Though this last thought explained both of the previous problems, it wasn't exactly welcome. Zack quickly retraced his steps the last night, ignoring the unhappiness that came with the remembrance of some of the previous night's events. He remembered going into the courtyard, thinking up a plan, then walking back to his quarters, _alone_, shedding his clothes and falling into bed where he quickly fell asleep. So…

_Who the HELL is in my bed?_

Zack cracked an eye open, and nearly shrieked a very unmanly noise when he saw impossibly blue eyes staring back at him.

His pride was saved when all he did was bite his lip sharply, but Zack's heart accelerated dangerously quickly when he realized that _Cloud_ was the one that he was sleeping next to. He saw the boy's smug grin and couldn't help but let a smile of his own peek out in return.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Cloud said softly, smoothing back the unruly strands of hair that covered Zack's eyes.

"That's my line, you little trickster," the soldier retorted, not moving away. They stayed laying next to each other, inches apart, staring at one another for several moments. Eventually, they both cracked and grinned, letting out soft sounds of laughter. When it subsided, Zack put his arms around the boy in front of him, pulling them together in a loose hug.

"Why are you here, Sunshine? Not that I mind or anything, but I thought you were…" Zack trailed off, frowning at the thought of him being with Leon. Cloud's face was pressed against his throat at the moment, so he didn't see it.

"I was…?" Cloud prodded, his eyes closing in comfort.

Zack grit his teeth in annoyance, determined not to bring it up.

"I thought you were, uh…tired," the soldier lied lamely, hoping the other would buy it.

"Yeah, I was kind of tired. But I was actually making friends last night, before I snuck in here. Some soldier you are, huh? Can't even tell when someone gets in your room in the middle of the night," Cloud laughed softly, stretching lightly.

Zack half-smiled, before he reassured himself with the thought of the plan he had come up with. All in due time.

"You know it, babe. Maybe you're just so _not_ threatening that my senses didn't pick up on you," Zack teased back after a moment.

Cloud huffed, but the elder felt a smile against his throat.

"It's the small ones you have to look out for; they're the most dangerous and unpredictable ones out there," the blonde whispered, before untangling himself from Zack and stepping lightly off of the bed, heading for the door.

"I'd take care of that soon, cause you've gotta be out there directing people for the big move in an hour or so, right?" Cloud giggled, before leaving the room and snapping the door shut behind him.

It took Zack a few moments to realize that he still had an impressive boner, and he fell backwards onto his bed once again before pressing his hands to his face as it scrunched up at the thought of his superiors wearing unthinkable clothing.

~o+o~

**A/N:** A little short, I apologize. X) But it's better than nothing, eh?

Cloud, you whore. xD I love blondes who have fun with themselves! Anyway, we have a big move coming up here, what's gonna happen with that? We'll find out in two weeks! See you guys then!

-Revalations


End file.
